Mehbooba Mufti’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appears to have failed to motivate BJP to reciprocate the PDP chief’s new-found willingness to repair ties and form the government in Jammu & Kashmir.
Although Mehbooba expressed satisfaction over the 30-minute meeting with the PM and indicated her willingness for J&K government formation with BJP, sources in the saffron outfit said the PM refused to discuss the coalition’s revival with her, saying she needed to sort out the matter with the BJP brass. Sources also said that while Mehbooba sought and got the PM’s blessings, Modi emphasised the need for her to be “positive”.
“We are seeing a stalemate for the last 2- 3 months. But today I am satisfied. I am very satisfied,” Mehbooba said, adding that she has called a meeting of her MLAs on Thursday to decide the future course of action.
While the statement was a clear sign that she was ready to succeed her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as CM with BJP’s support, the latter seemed to be in no mood to rush to reciprocate. As a matter of fact, Mehbooba’s description of the meet only seemed to have reinforced BJP’s scepticism whether it should revive the partnership which the party had scripted with Mehbooba’s departed father.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday indicated her willingness to form the government with BJP in J&K.
A BJP source said, “That she expressed satisfaction over a meeting where government formation was not even discussed only shows that she engaged in the game of political brinkmanship by not restarting the coalition earlier.”
Unsure that Mehbooba will not resort to what party sources called “pressure tactics”, BJP has decided to insist on guarantees of “good behaviour” from PDP as well as change in portfolios, in what will mark a significant shift in equations from just a couple of months ago when it appeared keen to resume the coalition while Mehbooba played hardball.
